Porcelain Bloom Arabian Crepe Fabric | 60" Wide | Sold in Metres

Porcelain Bloom Arabian Crepe

White blooms on trailing stems across a black ground, drawn with fine detail in the petals and nothing else added. Two colours only, no shading and no third tone, which is what gives it the clean porcelain look rather than the softer feel of a multicolour floral.

Black and white is the easiest thing in the shop to work with. Any trimming matches. Any lining works. You are never hunting for a thread to pick out one shade in a print, and it sits with everything already in the wardrobe.

It is also the print least likely to date. Monochrome florals have been in circulation for decades and keep coming back, so cloth bought now will not look of its moment in two years.

This is a black abaya fabric that isn’t plain. Most printed crepe comes on pale grounds, so if you want pattern without leaving black there is not much to choose from.

This is a heavier crepe with a smooth, almost silky face and a fine grain you feel before you see. It has the weight to hang properly and hold a shape, and it comes out of a bag without creasing.

60 inches wide, sold in metres and cut as one continuous length. Order three metres and it arrives as a single three metre piece, not three separate cuts.

What to make with it: Abayas, kameez and shalwar, winter dresses, longline skirts, tailored trousers, blouses, kimono jackets, headscarves.

Before you cut: No pre-washing needed. The sprigs trail on stems, so lay a piece out and check which way they run before you cut, and keep all your pieces facing the same direction. Mark with a white or silver pencil rather than chalk, and work in good light, because black cloth hides your stitch line.

Care: Machine wash cool, hang to dry, and it drops out without ironing most of the time. Press on a low synthetic setting with a cloth in between if you need to. Wash separately for the first few washes and keep a lint roller nearby, as dark crepe picks up fluff. Do not tumble dry.